More arrests are expected in child porn ring

Authorities expect more arrests before the end of this week in Operation Candyman, the nationwide investigation into the sending of child pornography over the Internet. 34-year-old Thomas Edward Bailey of Silver City, Iowa, is charged with possessing child porn in Nebraska. In Nebraska and Iowa, the only person arrested is Mr. Bailey. Assistant U-S Attorney Jan Sharp in Omaha says it’s a case that crosses state lines.He says Bailey lives in Iowa but the crime of downloading the porn allegedly took place in Nebraska. Sharp can’t give details of how Operation Candyman netted the nearly thirty alleged child pornographers arrested so far, or what evidence they collected.He says they don’t file cases if they don’t think they can win them. Sharp can only say the Iowa man was arrested because of events that took place around December 21 at an undisclosed location in Nebraska. Possession of child porn could bring five years in prison, a quarter-million dollar fine if convicted. Sharp says the operation, like a previous FBI roundup dubbed “Innocent Images,” tackled several tough challenges. Don’t know if it’s legal as much as practical, since images flash around the US and across world borders. No court date’s been set yet. Bailey lives in Silver City, a tiny community about ten miles southeast of Council Bluffs.